A Love That Lasts Forever
by Princess Math
Summary: When Katara shows up at the palace unexpected, Zuko knows something bad has happened. Zuko has to confess his feelings to her before it's too late. Zutara.


Firelord Zuko knows that if Katara shows up to the palace unexpected, something bad has happened.

Zuko was out sitting by the turtle duck pond, when he heard yelling.

"Let me go now! I need to see Zuko!" It was Katara.

"Ma'am the Firelord has asked for silence." The guard said.

"I don't care! Tell him it's Katara and-"

"Katara? What are you doing here?" Zuko said.

"Zuko!" The guards released Katara and she ran to him.

Zuko hugged Katara, and as they were hugging, she started to cry. Zuko gave the guards a signal to leave.

"Katara? Katara what happened?" Zuko asked softly.

She sobbed a little before she answered. "It's- it's Gran-Gran. She- she died two days ago." Katara quivered.

Zuko was in shock. If Katara showed up without notice, he assumed Sokka or Aang or Hakoda has pissed her off and she needed to get away.

They sat down by the pond and Zuko held her while she cried. They were there for a while, and if someone came, they were sent off. Soon they got the message to leave them alone. Katara finished crying, but stayed in the comfort of his arms. She fell asleep within minutes. Zuko stood up and carried her to his room. He laid her down on the bed and pushed her hair out of her face.

_'She looks adorable when she sleeps.' _Zuko thought.

Zuko held her hand and caressed her knuckles. He chuckled.

"I remember that first night at The Western Air Temple. You threatened to kill me. But over the next week or two I became more helpful to you than anyone. I remember pulling pranks with Toph and you yelling at us after covering Sokka in Appa's mucus." Katara curled up. "I remember searching for Yon Rah." He spoke more softly now. "Even though I never said it, I was glad you didn't kill him. You aren't a killer. I remember how that night we stayed up, talking about our mothers, watching the stars. I think we both cried that night. No one had ever seen me cry but my mother until you. I kissed you that night. And you kissed me back. We held each other until we fell asleep, but in the morning everything went back to normal. We never spoke of the kiss. I think about it all the time. And sometimes-"

Zuko stopped. Katara was thrashing in her sleep. He had to wake her up.

"Katara. 'Tara wake up. Wake up please." He was shaking her. "Katara!"

She woke with a shock. Her eyes filled with water and Zuko knew she had a nightmare.

"Shh 'Tara it's okay it was just a nightmare. Everything's okay. I'm here it's okay." Zuko said gently. She cried for a few minutes then stopped. "Hey let's go get something to eat okay? You haven't eaten since you got here."

Zuko stood her up from the bed and he took her hand. They started walking toward the dining room.

"Zuko? Where's Mai?" Katara realized she wasn't here.

He knew this was going to come up sooner or later. But he can still push it back later.

"Doesn't matter. You need me so I'm staying." He said, and she didn't argue.

* * *

Honestly Katara didn't like Mai. She was so boring and hated everything. Mai was the reason she didn't visit often. After the war she stayed at the palace for a few months. A request from Mai to stay away from Zuko is what made her leave. She doesn't know what Zuko sees in her. She hoped Zuko would someday love her. They had never talked about their kiss. Frankly they were both too afraid of rejection to bring it up. Zuko had been touchy-feely since she came this time. Did something happen?

They got to the dining room and had food out almost immediately. As they started to eat, Katara asked again.

"Zuko. Where is Mai? Did something happen?" She asked nervously.

She never flirted with Zuko when she visited. She knew he loved Mai and she wasn't getting between that. She was too kind.

"Katara I told you it-"

"It does matter. Plus I need something to take this off my mind. What happened?" Katara said.

* * *

Zuko took a deep breath. The truth is Katara is the reason Mai left.

_"Mai? Where are you doing?" Zuko had walked into her room to see her packing her stuff._

_"Something I should've done a long time ago." She paused. "Something __**you**__ should have done a long time ago."_

_"What are you talking about?" He was confused. But he knew what was coming, and what the come out was._

_"I'm leaving Zuko. I'm breaking up with you since you haven't with me yet." Mai said as she continued to pack._

_"Why? What did I do?" He already knew._

_Mai stopped packing. She turned and faced him._

_"Ever since the war ended, years ago, I have been second best in your eyes. The water wench comes first." Zuko opened his mouth to speak. "No you let me finish right now! Every time something happens to her, you put her first. It's not like I'm your girlfriend or something! And you know why she doesn't visit except when she cries? Because I told the wench not to."_

_"Mai, she's my friend-"_

_"Is she? Look me in the eyes and tell her you don't have feeling for her. Do it." Mai said._

_But he couldn't. He looked at the floor and when he glanced, he saw the disappointment in her eyes._

_"Just what I thought. I'm leaving. And don't try to stop me or I swear I will kill you in your sleep."_

_She starts to walk away with her bags. She turns._

_"Was any of it real, Zuko? Did you ever even love me?" She asked, pain in her eyes._

_"Yes. It was." He wasn't even sure if that was lie or not._

_"But you love her more don't you." Mai said._

_Zuko thought for a long moment. "I'm sorry. But I do."_

Zuko didn't want to lie to her, but telling her he loved her after her tragedy is the wrong move.

"She left about a year ago. Things were complicated between us." He took a deep breath and continued. "I don't even know if I ever loved her."

* * *

This was not what Katara was expecting. But she knew Zuko. This wasn't the whole story.

"I know you aren't telling me everything." She said.

"I want to. But I can't, at least not right now. Don't get mad but I promise I will tell you soon." Zuko said, sadness in his eyes.

"Fine. But if you didn't even love her, why were you with her for so long?" Katara wanted this answer. Maybe she still had a chance.

"I guess I tried to love her. But she knew it wasn't real. So she left." Zuko stated.

He stood up and offered her his arm. "Would you care for a late night stroll Lady Katara?" He said all fancy with a smile.

"Why I would love to Firelord Zuko." She said taking his arm.

* * *

Zuko took her to her favorite fountain in the Fire Nation. It wasn't far so they walked. The candles weren't lit.

"Zuko? Could you?" He knew what she meant. He lit all the candles. He moved gracefully and she loved it.

She was in awe. Zuko loved that about her. No matter how many times she saw something, it was always like the first. They sat down together on the swing and observed the fountain. She rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her waist. She smiled at him.

They sat for a long time. Nobody else seemed to be in the area so they were all to themselves. Zuko broke the silence.

"Do you want to know why Mai left?"

She sat up and looked at him. "You don't have to. I was just wondering and-"

"No its okay." He took a breath. He was about to confess his love to her. Love he's felt for years. "Mai left because she knew I was in love with someone else. She said she had known for a while. And she knew I loved the other girl more than her."

"And- and does she love you?"

"I don't know. I've been too afraid to tell her. But I can tell by the way she looks at me, that she's at least happy." Zuko said, never taking his eyes off of hers.

"So where is she?" Katara asked, staring in his eyes.

"Right in front of me."

Then he did what he's been dying to do forever. He cupped her face and kissed her. And she kissed him back. They entangled themselves in each other.

"Zuko?"

"Yes?"

"I love you too."


End file.
